Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-28
JEFF DAVIS TWADDLE.
GEORGIA SLOPS OVER IN HER GREETING
TO THE CONFEDERATE LEADER.
An Exaggerated Account Of Devotion to the Oh
Urconsrpcsd-Yst There are Only Five ThOus-
and People Prsssu;-Gsnsral JasksOns
Speech on the Occasion,

MACON, GA, October 27.-Yesterday
''Confederacy Day" in Macon.
1t vas the last gasp, but it was start
ling one.
Everywhere throughout the city Confed-
crate flags were flying,
Everybody has from one to a dozen
badges on his breast, indicative of love for
JEFF Davis and the Lost Cause" but still
the leading and thinking people here say
that it means no disloyalty to the Union;
that it is only q last farewell 10 the man,
who must soon leave this world, and to
the cause these people fought for under
him.
The especial feature of the celebration
was the so-called review Of the Confederate
Veterans by their old President Mr..
Davis, with his family and number Of
distinguished Georgians, was sitting on the
porch Of Captain Johuston's house, which
stands in the vast grounds at the summit
of Mulberry Hill, when the procession
wheeled into the fir nt carriage gate, in
tending to pass close by Mr.. Davis and out
at the rear gate, but the crowd soon had
swarmed over the fence and filed the en-.
tire front lawn completely full. Every
fellow was struggling to get Dearer to the
porch, and every voice was straining TO be
heard above every other voice shouting
"Hurrah for JEFF Davisr The arrange
ments that had been made for reviewing
the veterans were
BLOWN To KINGDOM COME
What the crowd wanted was to see JEFF
Davis himSel touch him, if possible, and
to worship at his feet. The old veterans
broke ranks and began climbing up on the
porch The police tried TO pull them down,
but they shouted back that ali the police
men in Georgia could not keep them from
shaking hands with JEFF Davis.
Mr.. Davis, whose seventy-nine years
have left him III Il very feeble state, made
desperate efforts to shake hands over the
porch railing with everybody whom he
could reach. Of the 5000 perhaps 200 man.
aged to touch the hands which Mr.. Davis
now and then tore away from those who
railing. Whenever he did this the crowd
below would grab his hands, and some of
the men who were strong enough to keep
the others away stood and held the pale,
thin haudS to their lips and washed them
with tears.
Long-baired, unkempt old fellows crawl
ed right up on the shoulders Of the men in
front of them and piled over their heads,
regardless of everything but their one pur-
pose of touching the hand of jeff Davis
They scrambled and fought and yelled and
cried till bedlam must have seemed a
dense silence bSide them. Yet, even then,
the enthusiasm was
NOT AT ITS HEIGHT.
1t WAS not until somebody handed the
ragged hattle-hag of the Third Georgia
Regiment over the heads of the crowd that
the storm blew its worst. Mr. Davis
grasped the tatters of the flag and pressed
them 10 his lips. This was the signal for
the most violent breaking forth. The air
was full OF such expressions as God bless
JEFF Davis" God bless the Gag" and
below and men and women on the porch
broke down under the strain put upon
. emotions, and in a moment the entire
multitude was in tears.
The cid Confederate President waved
the battle.torn ensign over the heads of the
people, who yelled and threw their hats
away and cried like SO many children.
Mrs. Davis and her two daughters kissed
the Hag; in turn for each kiss ), 200 huzzahs
went up. Mrs. Davis al last tore off q
shred of the flag and placed ii within the
bosom of her dress, whereupon a perfect
pandemonium of God Bless YOur and
similar shouts was let loose When the
flag was handed back to the multitude,
the men snatched
ALL AVAILABLE TATTERS
and pressed them warmly To their lips.
Pretty soon Mr Davis arose, facing the
people in the attitude of speechmaker,
finally to bring about lull, in which he
was heard By the very nearest ones to say:
Friend, and Brothers:-I am like that old
flag, tattered and torn by storms and years.
| love it for its own sake and for yours.
| love it as mementO OF what your
fathers did and! what they hoped You
would do. | will see you again
At this point another tlag-one OF the
, old original flags with the three bars and
the elegen stars--Was passed up, aud Mr.
Davis and his entire family kissed aud
wept over il.
= Presently Governor Gordon pressed to
the front of the porch, and, after getting
silence, began speech, which was intend
cd to take the attention of the crowd from
the feeble old man who had by this time
become so thrilled and excited that he
tremhled violently. Under cover OF Gov
ernOr Gordon'S speech, Mr.. Davis was put
in carriage and driven to the fair grounds,
where there was
REPETITION OF THE SCENES
at Captain John:tOn's house.
Several badges were presented to Mr
Davis and his daughter. These presents
were made IN hsualf Of seTeCal military
organizations which are here, and the
badges, which we're very beautiful, all bore
conSpicuOusly on their faces Confederate
hlgs and printed sentiments, of which the
following, from the badge presented to
Mr.. Davis by the Ycung Mems Veteran
Association, is an example:
= "While the survivors oft Confederacy
do honor 10 their cnieitsin, we, their sons,
remembering your faithtulness to and suf
feringS for them, join our hearts with
theirs in gratitude, and together pledge
you eternal love. Our prayer is that God,
who has ever been just, may still care for
you, and when the end comes crown you
with glory that never fades in cause that
never dies"
When Mr. Davis received this badge from
the hands of Congressman Blount's son,
the old man wept like a child and said:
my young countrymen, am proud to
know that you hold in reverence the mem
ory and principles of your fathers"
JACKsoS'S SPEECH.
Last night there was great torchlight
demonstration in honor of Mr.. Davis
General Henry jackson, ex-Minister to
Mexico, in his speech to the veterans,
said
CONFEDERATE VETERANS - There
stands upon the soil of Georgia the distin-